Meet Carley Kleban | Singer-songwriter and guitarist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carley Kleban and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carley, what do you want people to remember about you?
If I got the chance to leave a legacy, I would want to leave a legacy of love. Along with kindness, joy, peace, patience, purity, passion, hard work, selflessness, character, morality, and authenticity, I would want people to remember me through the love that I shared with God and others. I hope people would see the joy, purpose, and passion in my life and see that it comes from and points to something so much bigger than myself. I would want my life and music to encourage people to live genuine lives, look beyond themselves, call upon and trust in God, and do more than just exist. As an artist I have a desire to help people through my music and would love to be known as someone who helped people through hard times, rejoiced with them in good times, shared life lessons, and encouraged them to pursue with humility a purposeful and meaningful life. I am not perfect and fall everyday, but pray I can strive to love God and others through my life and music and encourage others to do the same.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a singer- songwriter from Georgia and have been playing music my whole life. I started playing guitar when I was 4, paired it with my poems at 7, and after seeing how the songs I loved writing and playing could make others smile and even bring them out of a hard time, I felt like I found my life’s calling. I played my first bar gig at 13 and have been gigging on the side of school and jobs ever since. Along with my bar gigs, I played at my church, family parties, weddings, oyster roasts, anniversaries, birthdays, and eventually small scale venues, and fall festivals in other states too. I currently play in Charleston, South Carolina doing a lot of private events as well as some local spots like Coastal Crust, Island Cabana Bar, the Wine Shop Old Village, Oyster Candle Co. etc. I play mostly play 60s/70s classic hits, but also enjoy playing Bill Withers, Otis Redding, James Taylor, Frank Sinatra, and more. I have been so blessed in my music journey to be encouraged by Jan Smith with Jan Smith studios in Atlanta, multiple guitar teachers, and so many wonderful family, friends, and locals who come hear me play. If I wanted anything about my story or music to stand out to people it is that I want to make real authentic music with a real meaning and message that will positively impact people’s lives and encourage a greater good. Some songs I write just to get off my chest, but the best ones I feel like are the ones that have power to move people. Hard work, belief, perseverance, and a grateful heart are huge takeaways from my journey so far and qualities that I will continue to carry on going forward. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do what I love and am so grateful for anyone who has supported, encouraged, listened, or helped me along the way. Thank you so much and thank you to Southern Voyager for the opportunity to share my story. God Bless!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If someone was visiting Charleston and looking for things to do, I would have so many recommendations because this place is awesome! One of the many would be to take a walk on the Shem Creek boardwalk and stop at Salt Water Cowboys for a margarita on the top deck at sunset. Maybe even hop on the Palmetto Breeze and cruise around the harbor if they were looking for an excursion, (Make sure to keep an eye out for dolphins swimming by!) If the weather was looking good, I’d say another option would be to go to Sullivan’s Island or Folly Beach and walk the beach (add the pier on Folly too.) I’d recommend grabbing a bite to eat along Middle street on Sullivan’s (Possibly Mex. 1 or The Obstinate Daughter). If you go to Folly I’d recommend stopping by Bert’s Market and grabbing a wrap or sandwich from the guys behind the counter. If it is a Monday I would also recommend getting an evening drink at Chico Feo on Folly so you can listen to some live music provided by the open mic night they put on there on Monday nights! Another cool place to eat in my opinion nearby on James Island is Ellis Creek Fish Camp. I just love the marsh views, old wood, and hanging lights. Other great ideas are taking a bike ride through the Old Village in Mt. Pleasant to the Pitt St. Bridge, Walking down King street and the battery and then getting a drink at the Citrus Club as the sun goes down. (Big sunset girl over here haha) If you’re downtown and looking for coffee I’d recommend Harken as one of my favorites. One of my favorite recommendations overall, would be to pack a picnic and go out to Awendaw Green on a Wednesday night with a few good friends to listen to some live local bands in a cool outdoor setting. Live music, fire pits, hanging lights, and good vibes. You can’t go wrong! There are so many great things to do in Charleston and these are just a few of my favorites, but there are endless ways you enjoy and have fun here!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
On a local level I’d love to shout out Lisa Church Hill with The Pickled Palate, Shannon Gallo with Oyster Candle Co, Lainie Rosmarin with The Wine Shop Old Village, Nikki Corriher with The Miss Emily Super Yacht, Henry DeVega Catering and so many others in the community for helping support me and my music here locally in Charleston, SC and beyond. Super thankful for all the kindness, love, and support from these awesome businesses and their owners! Thank you!

Website: www.CarleyKMusic,com

Instagram: CarleyKMusic

Facebook: Carley K

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@ckleban11

Image Credits
James Hahn Photography Charlotte Zacharkiw Photography